I am glad that DP world has taken over the management of Djibouti Port. Had it been for the Guleh Regime, i am sure there would have been little progress in the accelerated volume of import/export of Ethiopia. As a world wide operator of ports from China to Europe and elsewhere, with deep pockets, Dubai Port has to be commended for the improvement of the port at Djibouti and now the dry port at Dualeh. Very few folks remember that the ports at Assab and Massawa needed billions of dollars of investment to reach the level of massive infrastructural investment incurred by Dubai Ports. I will be honest to state that such a doubling and tripling of the volume of external trade was impossible if it were left to Addis or Asmara bureaucrats or Djibouti oligarchs had it not been for Dubai Port. The fact that Ethiopia is paying serious monies is to be expected. but no one can argue with the fact tha the pay is commensurate with the service. This said, it is time for Ethiopian Govt to be biased against Dubai Ports which is mostly owned by the United Arab Emirates, specifically by the Sultan of Dubai, where Ethiopia doesn't even have a diplomatic representative, to speak of. Mind you, we have diplomats from Paris to Bujumbura and Beijing. I am sure Accra and Bulawayo aren't as important as Dubai and Abu Dhabi where aside from the Regime holding our outlet to the sea there are tens of thousands of expatriates who work or slave, either way you put it. I think it is time to reexmaine the relationship between United Arab Emirates which controls Dubai Ports in light of the fact on the ground. The fact that Ethiopian bureaucrats are talking to folks in the ministry of Djibouti is a serious misjudgement. For all practical purpose, the State of Djibouti is " outre mere department" of France along with USA and soon Germany. If memory serves me well even Spain is soon to set up shop there. We need to approach the situation with a new and sophisticated way. For beginners, instead of talking to folks intoxicated by Harar khat and Cognac in Djibouti, we should talk to folks in Dubai and Abu Dabi who are amongst the most progressive in the World. We have to be thankful to them for having invested billions of ollars in modernizing the port at Djibouti. I am sure had we owned it outright, we couldn't have done a fraction of what these folks have achieved. I recall how much the Assab port costed the regimes before this one, in upgrade and etc, in vein. No container ship of significane could dock in there.

My advice to the Ethiopian Govt who seems to be doing great job, overall, is to stop beating the wrong drum. Talk to the Sheiks in Dubai, istead. Open one of the biggest emabassies in Dubai. Give the Emiratis dual citizenship as well as 200 hectare( they number about half a million, if i amnot mistaken) and isolate them from the Qataris and Egyptians who are conspiring against Ethiopia and then you will see that the little money they make from the port facility might even be abolished altogether.

Most things are done in the Middleeast by handshake. How can we shake the hand which is leterally putting the plate on the table if we dont even have a representative in the most important country for our very security and survival- the Dubai Ports de facto proprietors. To try to disuade the chat chewing Issact in the afternoon is in vein. any attempt to persuade the Brits who are running the show from behind the scene is utterly rubbish for no one ever has succeded in that. Trying to talk sense to the wealthy Emiraties is another matter. I am sure one catch more flies with honey. so sweet talk, fellas. Next Call